Food for Africa
ETHIOPIAN BERBERE
MAKES 2 CUPS
The nomads of North Africa, the Berbers, were the original traders of the Sahara Desert. On their return to Morocco from Ethiopia, they brought spices from the coast to inland regions. Berbere paste is a spice condiment used in many of their dishes and in Ethiopian cuisine. It adds a distinctive ‘wow’ factor to stews and salad dressings. Keep a jar handy in the fridge as you’ll need it for some of my Ethiopian recipes, such as Doro Wat Chicken.
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp salt
• 60ml dry red wine (use leftover wine)
• 2 cups paprika
• 2 tbsp ground hot red pepper (or cayenne pepper)
• ½ tsp milled black pepper
• 1½ cups water
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil, for drizzling
Using a non-stick pan, toast the ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice over low heat for about 2 minutes,
